Jell-O’s recent sales decline can be attributed to its change of target market from mostly children to adults. It is no longer being seen as the fun food that it was, given its advertising strategies that included Bill Cosby, one of the best comedians of all time. According to Ries and Trout, to be everything to everyone will end up being nothing to everyone. This was a likely event that was to happen to Jell-o if they did nothing to change their direction. Luckily, they quickly realized that they are making a mistake and they are already taking swift actions to “reestablish Jell-O’s core purpose of food for fun” as Dan O’Leary, a senior marketing director for Kraft mentions.

It is very difficult to change the position taken by a product in the consumers’s mind as Kraft had hoped. The consistent knowledge that Jell-O is associated with children mainly, may have contributed to the failure of their adult campaign. Change in eating habits is also on of the factors that contributed to a slight decline in it demand. Hopefully it new campaign will restore its product’s position in the consumer’s mind.

Sources:

http://adage.com/article/news/kraft-launches-campaign-revive-jell-o/243616/

http://www.quickmba.com/marketing/ries-trout/positioning/